GenoMe Diagnostics
GenoME Diagnostics is a spin-out company from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast. It focuses on the development of novel tests for early detection of diseases, using an affordable and scalable platform.
GenoME Diagnostics employs innovative technology to develop diagnostic tests through the identification of novel biomarkers. We have developed a platform technology that can be applied to a wide range of diseases, using decades of experience to accelerate the rate of biomarker discovery and reducing the time spent in research and development. The platform technology we use to develop our novel tests can be applied to a wide range of diseases, even beyond cancer, which we intend to pursue in-house and for external partners such as companion diagnostics
The journey
“GenoME Diagnostics" is based on almost a decade of academic research in the PGJCCR at Queen’s University Belfast, and was accepted onto NxNW ICURe cohort D in September 2019. Our first product in development is a novel blood test for earlier detection of ovarian cancer. The ICURe program allowed us to conduct market validation of our ovarian cancer test, customer discovery and network with key opinion leaders across the globe. This included tradeshows in Japan, San Diego and Germany, and conferences and meetings in Spain, UK, Ireland and San Francisco. The findings of these meetings and activities were presented at the options roundabout in December 2019, with the panel voting to recommend establishing a spin-out company.
GenoME Diagnostics was successfully awarded Innovate UK and ICURe follow-on funding in March 2021, which enabled us to establish the spin-out, make first hires, acquire our own equipment and consumables, and begin technical and commercial development. Furthermore, following this Innovate UK success, GenoME Diagnostics were crowned the ‘All Ireland Best New Start Company’ by Intertrade Ireland in 2020, successfully closing a pre-seed round of £300k in 2021, with backing from QUBIS (the commericalisation arm of QUB), Clarendon Fund Managers managing Co-Fund NI, and Deepbridge Capital. We also received a ‘Women in Innovation’ Award by Innovate UK in 2022.
This initial cohort of funding enabled GenoME Diagnostics to progress our technical and commercial development and grow the company. To date we have filed our first patent, which is now at regional examination stage, combined our panel of markers into a single test (optimal for industry uptake and population coverage), optimised validation of our test in tissue, and we are now working to validate our test in blood samples. In addition, we have begun development in a new disease area to develop a novel blood test for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer.
To enable the company to grow and scale, bring our ovarian test to market and continue platform development, we have raised a second Seed-Plus round of funding for £1.4M. This is leveraged with a Biomedical Catalyst collaborative grant with QUB for the pancreatic cancer development.”
Future Goals
GenoME is focussing on developing new tests for earlier and more accurate detection of diseases, which are in dire need of improvement. The GenoME Diagnostics long term ambition is to create affordable, accurate and effective diagnostics, to enable better treatment and better patient stratification. This is with the overall aim of improving survival and quality of life for patients, while also reducing patient stress, healthcare strain, and allowing more appropriate follow-up for those who are suffering from other conditions.
Our pancreatic test is still in early development. We will first be marketing our ovarian test as a disease monitoring tool, for the relapse/remission of women who have already received a confirmed ovarian cancer diagnosis. In tandem, we will also be performing further validation as a diagnostic tool for women who present with suspected symptoms. Our ultimate aim is to become the first blood test for ovarian cancer screening, using our platform to develop similar tools across multiple diseases. We will also work to continue platform development, expanding to other disease areas not just limited to cancer. We will perform this development both in-house for ourselves and for external partners, such as companion diagnostic development for drug developers.